commuting

hi guys,
i got an offer from queen mary's pwc programme but im a bit lost. i really really wanted an offer but now that i have it im debating on whether it is worth going because queen marys is 1.5-2 hours away from me. im not sure if its worth commuting that much for uni and wanted your opinions.

this course is honestly my dream course and its offered at another uni too but they wont transfer me there. i applied to the qmul of instead of the reading one bc of the russel group uni name tied to qmul, which idk if it was a good choice.

i also dont wanna spend 3-4 hours per day commuting that sounds exhausing so idk, pls give me ur advice. also i cant move out and will drive to uni so idk. tysm for reading

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 1

Chester Student

Official Rep

Original post by aisima

hi guys,
i got an offer from queen mary's pwc programme but im a bit lost. i really really wanted an offer but now that i have it im debating on whether it is worth going because queen marys is 1.5-2 hours away from me. im not sure if its worth commuting that much for uni and wanted your opinions.
this course is honestly my dream course and its offered at another uni too but they wont transfer me there. i applied to the qmul of instead of the reading one bc of the russel group uni name tied to qmul, which idk if it was a good choice.
i also dont wanna spend 3-4 hours per day commuting that sounds exhausing so idk, pls give me ur advice. also i cant move out and will drive to uni so idk. tysm for reading

Hi there,

While I can't make this decision for you, hopefully I can provide some guidance!

From my knowledge, commuting students usually aim to keep their round trip under 1.5 hours. Of course, more may be doable, but at that point you'd be draining yourself physically and mentally, which may significantly impact your experience.

With commuting, there are many things to consider. Costs can be high, as you'd have to pay for car maintenance (MOT, tax, services, repairs), fuel, and parking. At that point, it may be important to weigh the costs of accommodation vs. commuting. You should also consider what your schedule may be like, which could make a 1.5-2 hour journey pretty severe. If you end up having a 9am, especially if you have to attend for multiple days in the week, would this be doable for you? Consider rush-hour traffic, which I'm sure would be even more stressful in London.

Commuting that distance will likely deduct from your university experience too. It's likely you'll miss out on social events, sports and societies, and have less opportunities to meet your peers. How content would you be with an experience like this?

If possible, an alternative could be looking into transport links. These may be quicker, particularly at high-traffic times, so may be a better option and would definitely save you some money too.

I hope this helps, and gives you some extra things to consider. Best of luck!

Isabella
Fourth-Year Geography (With a Year Abroad)

Reply 2

UCLan Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by aisima

hi guys,
i got an offer from queen mary's pwc programme but im a bit lost. i really really wanted an offer but now that i have it im debating on whether it is worth going because queen marys is 1.5-2 hours away from me. im not sure if its worth commuting that much for uni and wanted your opinions.
this course is honestly my dream course and its offered at another uni too but they wont transfer me there. i applied to the qmul of instead of the reading one bc of the russel group uni name tied to qmul, which idk if it was a good choice.
i also dont wanna spend 3-4 hours per day commuting that sounds exhausing so idk, pls give me ur advice. also i cant move out and will drive to uni so idk. tysm for reading

Hi @aisima,

I understand that this is a very important decision in your life and I'm sure you will make the best decision for yourself. I moved out when I went to university, however a lot of my friends and class mates commuted. However, I did a placement year and I commuted to another city for the placement. Commuting can be great but also tiring so let me give you my take and guidance on it.

Commuting works for some people but isn't for everyone. I moved out to uni as I wanted to be on campus and be close to all my lectures and make the most of the facilities on campus. This is something you can still make the most of commuting, if you are planning on spending a whole day on campus and not leaving straight after your lecture. Hopefully, you shouldn't have to commute everyday but I would look into how much it would cost for a few days a week and all week if you needed to. My commute would have been around an hour and half but as I don't drive, I wanted to be a short walk from the campus.

I worked alongside my placement, so commuting got draining for me so that is something I would think about and ask yourself, can I imagine myself commuting 3-4 hours a day. With public transport, you can study on the journey which most students will do. This can be a part of the journey there or just back but also could be the whole journey depending on the work load. My course mates who commuted did often do their work on the way except those who drove in.

There are many aspect to university life such as student union and events at the university, which many think you will miss out if you commute. This varies and I can see from my course mates why they sometimes felt like that. However, if you are commuting and spend the whole day there to make the most of campus and make new connections then you can attend these events and not miss out.

Hope this helps and you make the best decision for yourself,
^Zac 🙂

Reply 3

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by aisima

hi guys,
i got an offer from queen mary's pwc programme but im a bit lost. i really really wanted an offer but now that i have it im debating on whether it is worth going because queen marys is 1.5-2 hours away from me. im not sure if its worth commuting that much for uni and wanted your opinions.
this course is honestly my dream course and its offered at another uni too but they wont transfer me there. i applied to the qmul of instead of the reading one bc of the russel group uni name tied to qmul, which idk if it was a good choice.
i also dont wanna spend 3-4 hours per day commuting that sounds exhausing so idk, pls give me ur advice. also i cant move out and will drive to uni so idk. tysm for reading

Hi there!

I think there are a few factors which come into making a decision like this.

Firstly, it depends on how often you will be at Uni. I know this is hard to know as you don't have your timetable, but this is probably the main thing that would go into you deciding whether the commute is doable for you. If possible, you could see if there was a way you could contact the tutors on the course to find out how many contact hours you will have, or see if you can speak to a current student here or on The Ambassador Platform. This will be really helpful to know about and may help your decision. If you are in every day it will feel quite long, but if you are only in 2 or 3 times a week, it is a lot more feasible.

I would also say that if you can, getting the train or some form of public transport may be a better option as you will get very tired from driving but on the train you would be able to have a rest or do some work so it may work out better.

You may also have to factor in traffic - if you have a 9am it may be quite busy to drive which would also add on extra time to your journey. Same goes for if you have uni at 5- it will be busy when you are leaving.

If you are really unsure, it might be a good idea to try the commute at a busy time. So, drive or get the train to uni as if you had a 9am as this will be the best way to decide if you think you would be able to do it or not.

I hope some of this helps,

Lucy -SHU student ambassador.

Reply 4

wirrel

Original post by aisima

hi guys,
i got an offer from queen mary's pwc programme but im a bit lost. i really really wanted an offer but now that i have it im debating on whether it is worth going because queen marys is 1.5-2 hours away from me. im not sure if its worth commuting that much for uni and wanted your opinions.
this course is honestly my dream course and its offered at another uni too but they wont transfer me there. i applied to the qmul of instead of the reading one bc of the russel group uni name tied to qmul, which idk if it was a good choice.
i also dont wanna spend 3-4 hours per day commuting that sounds exhausing so idk, pls give me ur advice. also i cant move out and will drive to uni so idk. tysm for reading

Hi, I commute 1 hour 15 mins and 3 trains from southeast London and I don't find it too bad. How many trains would you have to take? If its 3 or less you'll probably find it ok. You can always watch lectures live online if need be (if your course provides you with that)